Railway-signal



R. A. FRY.

RAILWAY SIGNAL. vAPPLICATION FILED MAY28.1911.

lPufented D96.y 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ON FILED MAY 28. 1917.

Patented Dec. 2,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

`ROY A. FRY. or OMAHA, NEBRASKA.'

r To aZZ whom imag concern:

adV

igszaem.;

Be itknown that I, ROY A. FRY, a citizen "of the United States, residing at Omaha,

in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraskahave invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals, of

which'the following is aspeciication.

-The invention relates to railway signals and particularly to circuit controlling devices operable by the depression of the rail.

Such devices are commonly used to control .crossing warning signals and the like, and

.they` invention will be described as so ap- A l plied. without, however, implying necessary 15,

limitations to this field..

The: invention provides a simple andreliable circuit controlling device operable by minute depressions of the rail7 lbut not in- -juriously affected-'by larger depressions, so that it will'operate with certaintyunder varying conditions of the track and regardless of the speed of the train. The force eX- erted uponithe circuit controlling mechanism is variedflittle if at all by vthe extentA or rapidity of .depression of the rail, andthe device adjusts itselfautomatically to proper y relation with thev rail so as always to b e in By simple alterations cuit vor closed circuit systems.-

In the accompanying drawings l illus- .trate a preferred vembodiment of theinven-A tion, in which Figure 1 is a 'longitudinal vertical' section of an instrument embodying my invention, the casing being shown partly in elevation;

Fig. 2 isa' horizontal section of the saine on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; V

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail side views of the circiiit-controlliiigjclevices, representing the parts in diffe'rei'it positions assuiied during operation;

^ Fig. -5 is a detail sideview of apart of the rail-actuated plunger, showing thefrictional clutch-sleeve thereon;

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal section on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; 1

F 7 is a Adetail side view of the circuitvcontrolling devices as arranged for use lon normally-open circuits;

)F 8 is a detail 'plan view-of the reversible. switch-'block showing the mea-ns for supporting the'saine inthe casing.

Specification of vLetters Patent.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

vention there is provided a metal casing Patented Dec. 2, 1.919.

Appncatioa ined May 28, 1917. serial No. 171,462.

screws 12, the edges of the casing adjoining the sideplate having al groove 13 in' which suitable packing may bev placed to insure aj 'water-tight joilnt betweentheparts. When the instrument. is in use, the casing is dis.

posed with one. end thereof beneath one of the rails Aof a railway track, being supl ported .by two-metal bars 14 and 15 of. which the endsrest upon and are secured to adjoining cross-ties B of the traclcas shown in Figs. 1 and 9. The bar 14-v is secured to a lug or bracket 16 projecting-'from the end -of the casing, and the bar 15 is secured by 'a bolt or screw to the top yofthe casing near the end thereof which extends out laterally from t-herail'A. In'the top of the casing, beneath the rail A, there is a packing-gland 17 which surroundsfthe upper portion of a vertically disposed plunger 18. .The upper end ofsaid plunger engages the ,lower side of the rail and is held in engagement there-l with by means of acoil spring 19 which is. disposed faround the lower end-portion of the plunger and extends downinto a pocket 20 at the lower side of the casing. The middle portion of theplunger is largerin diameter than the end-portions. thereof; and

said larger middle portion forms shoulders one of which serves as a limit 'stop-for the upward movement ofthe plunger, .andthe other of which isen'gaged by spring 19; By

the described arrangement of parts, vertical movements of the rail A relative tothe ties track, cause reciprocating movements ofthe plunger relatively'to the casing, and such movements of the plungerare employed to' actuate the circuit-controlling mechanism,

On the largerlcy'lindrical yportion of `the plunger within the, casing, there is dispersed al frictional clutch-sleeve comprising two4 parts 21 and 22 fitting upon opposite sidesl 1 of the plunger as 'bestshown in Figs; land 6.. At the sides of lsaid sleeve-part's'21and 22 there are pairs of perforate lugs, those on the vpart 21 being threadedsto receive the ends of. screws'l-23. These screvspass freely through theropenings in thelugs on the 10.5' par-t 22. '.Cclsprngs. 241 are' iniinniteclupon the sci'eiys between the heads thereof and the lugs on the part. and being held in compression by the screws, tlie".. leeve parts into frictional engagement with the plunger. The frictional pressure is varied by adjustingthe screws 23.

At opposite sides of vthe clutch-sleeve are spaced portions adjacent to the clutchf'sleeve are connected by a cross-bolt The spaced portions' of the lever extend slightly beyond f 'the clutch-sleeve and are pivoted oii'a 'fiilcruni-piii '2D which extends"transversely between the back of the casing and a lug depending from the upper vside of the casing adjacent to the removable side-plate 11.v Thev free or movable end ofthe lever 26 extends between upper and lovver stop-pins 31 and 32 which project from the back of the. easing vtovvard lthe side plate 11, and adjacent to said pins there is a lng 33 which extends from the back of .the casing to the side of the lever and prevents lateralmoveineiit thereof.-

I From the described arrangementof 'the clutch-sleeve and lever, it`results that very slight. vertical reciprocating movements of the plunger Will cause movements of the leij'eiQ between the stop-pins Bland 32,and

suchniovement's ofthe lever may' be utilizedA for actuating or controlling signals or electrical circuitycontrolling devices.- Any movement ofthe plunger greater 'thanthat necessary to x actuate the lever 'between the describedlimits of movement will merely cause slippiiigof the plunger through the frietional clutch-sleeve?,l the leverbeing held" in- .engagement with the stop-pin toward Which-Lit was last moved, and moving 'toward theother stoppin vvhen the plunger commences inoveiiient'in the opposite direction. After the instrument is onceinstalled Vit 'will remain automatically in operative condition, regardless of variation of the rel ative positions of the rail Aand ties BAvith-f in the limits o f slip of tlieclutch. Thus if the rail should assume aposition'lower than it; occupied lwhen the instrument was inj stalled, the' plunger wouldbe merely pushed further down. through the clutch-sleeve, v.

` while if' the rail should be raised relatively to the ties, the plunger would follow it 'up so as to remain in engagement with it,'.tlie spring 19 pushing the plunger through the clutch to t 'e' new position, Obviously, 'the -adjustnient of the elutch-pressure must be `suoli that the plunger can be moved'through the sleeve by the pressure of the spring' 19 as serve to pi'eSs ivell as by thi` downward pressure of the rail. and thi` friction between the clutchsleeve and plunger must be sufficient to actuate the lever 213 and the signal or circuit-coin trolling` devicesconnected therewith. .nder conditions of service, regardless of what the normal relative positions of the rail and` ties maybe. the iiioven'icnt of a 'train` en-vv vgine or. car along the track will disturb the normal .condition and changel the relative positions of the rail and ties'enougl'i to cause vertical movements of the plunger sutlicient in extent to actuatethe lever and cause oscillatoiv movements thereof be'tiveeii the stop-pins 3l and 32.

The preferredmeans for utilizing the de- 1 scribed oscillatory movement of the lever .26` are as follows: 0n the movable end of the lever,v or that' end opposite the end fulcruiiied on the pin 29. there are pivotcd 'two approximately L shaped pawls.4 having downwardly' extendinzg` fingers 34 and Pif.

and fingers 3G aiidI- elvtendingflmck along' side the lever Vpast the stop-pins iil'and' 32 and adjacent 'respectively to the upper and loweredges of the lever. The depending fingers 34 and 35 divergcvfroin their common vpivotal axis, and the lower ends l'tliere'ofare connected to' eachother .b v a small coil spring 88, as shown in Figs. il aiidgl.:

Said depending fingers of the pawls pass on opposite sides of a siiiall horizontall shaft 39, of4 which the .one end is supported in a lug at the back of the casing.- and the otherl end is carried by a lug 4.-() extending n p from 'the 'bottoni of the'casiiig adjoining the side' plate 11. To said shaft 39. there are pivot-y ally connected two weighted arins l1 and l2.' each havinga flat -portion which extends v4'above the shaft, and an upwardly inclined portion: which carries at its endthe weight or 'hammer 43. lOn the loiveil sident' ea.h

arm, nearltliepivoted end"thereof. a llat spring44 yissecured tliei-eto and extends out horizontally beneath-the upwardly inclined portion7 tlievfree end ot' the springl restingv on a lug extending up from the bottom of the casing, and thespi'ing thus forminga vieldable supportfor-the respective hanuner.

The arms -11 and ,42 have laterallyoffset' portions at their adjacent lsides above the tend adjacent'to opposite sides of the respec-v tive offset portions, the spring'IS tending to pull the fingers into engagement therewith. Pointed lugs 4G and -lT are provided on the respective lingers 3l vand 85. the lug` lo l'ieing beveled at its lo'vveredge, and the lug 47 being beveled' at its upper edge. The

Ylug 47 is so arranged Athat when the 'lever Q6 is raised against the stop-pin 2&1, as'shown in Fig. 3, said lugwill pass in above the end of the ai'in l2, and engage over the saine.

. As the lever 26 swings upward, finger 3Q en 4 counters stop-pin 31, causing linger 3i to swing outward or away from the edge of theoliset of plate 44 so that lug 46 may not engage said plate .leven it' the plate swing -abjoye. said lug.

Upon downward lmovement otl the lever;

vpin;32thewfinger 37 engages said stop-pin and .moyes the finger 35 so that the 'lug' l? is disengaged from thearm, thereby permitting, the ,arm -todrop back toward its normal or initial position. Similarly, when the lever 26 is in ,the llower position at which it. engages the stop-pin 32, the lugi6 passes in beneath the .offset part of the' arm il, and

upon upward movement of the lever said arm 4l is yraised. until the finger 3G engages .the stop-pin 3L and disengages the .lug from said arm. thereby permitting the arm to drop. The weights or hammers -l3 are'so proportioned to the strength of the spring ist that aseach is dropped from such a posi- -tion as that shown dotted' lines inl Fig. 3 it will 'pass momentarily beyond t-he normal position to a position such as that shown by Vdotted lines in Fig. i, the spring -l-L being bent but immediately raising the. hammer to its normal .posit-ion. As the hammers i3 arel raised to substantially uniform heights` regardless of the rate lof operation of the A mechanism, it will be obvious that ythe force or momentum of the hammers in dropping will' also be substantial-ly uniform, and that the electrical circuit-controlling devices a'c.- tuated by the dropping ot the hammerswill thus'be protected against excessive or inj urious force.

In the illustrated torni of the circuit-controlling devices there is provided a rectangular blo-ck i8 ot insulating material which is arranged in the casing adjacentlto the hammers i3. rEhe insulating block is held inposition by means oi a stud i9, which projects i'romthe back of the casing through an pp'ening in the block, 'and has a nut 50 .screwed on the end thereof adjacent to the side-plate 1l. T here are also two dowel-pinsl 51 .which project from the back of the cas inginto openings in the block i8, said pins beingshorter than the stud if), but the openings therefor extending entirely through the block so that the pins may enter either' side thereof. On the bloc-k -LS are mounted -two switches, each comprising a contactplate ,52 secured to the block by a-,scre'w 53,',

and a eontact-springt secured to the block by a screw 55. ,Both the plates and springs` eiitend beyond the end of the block, the projecting portions beingconvergent, and the springs extending beyond the ends otthe .plates and terminating beneath the hammers yof its respective switch.

.ini-Figs... 1 to i, inclusive., the plates 52 are disposed on the upper side ot the switchblock i8, the springs re disposed on .the

lower side of the block, and theupper sides of the springs are normally in contact with the ends of the plates. z wWith this arrangement, the hammers 43 strike the contactsprings when at the lower position shown vswitches formed by the plates 52 and springs 5l are connected in series', one of the line wires 56-being connected with the screw 53 of one switch, the screw 55 of 'said switch being connected by a wire 57 with the screw 53 or' the other switch, and the screw 55 ofthe latter switch beingconnected with the other line wire. I The line -wires 56 .are brought into the casing througlia pipe or conduit 58 entering the end thereof through a packing-gland 59, as shown. The switches being in series, it is obvious that the circuit may be broken by the dropping-of either of the hammers 4:3 onto the contact-spring In the arrangement of the circuitcontrolliiig devices shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the contact-springs 5i aredisposed on the upper side of the switch-block, the contact-plates 52 are disposed on the lower side of the switch-block,V and the projecting portions oi the plates and springs are so arranged that they 'are not normally in contact witheach other. The two switches are connected in' parallel, thesc-rews 53 being connected electrically by a wire 60, and the screws '55 being connect-ed electrically by a wire 61, while theline-wires are connected one to one ot' the screws 53 and the .other to one of the screws 55. Dropping of the hammers 43 causes the springs 5i to be pressed into engagement with the ends ot the plates 52. thus closing the circuit through the' linewires by the operation of either switch. It

lwillbe'obvious that byreversing the position of the switch-block on the stud i9 vand .123i 'lathe arrangement of the parts shown jecting` portions ot' the lcontact-plates andl springs, and changing the` cross-connection of the switches from series to parallel, the closed-circuit instrument may be readily changed to an open-circuit instrument. Similarly, an open-circuit instrun'ient may be'converted into a closed-circuit instrument by bending` the springs to contact normally Lwith the'plates and changing /from parallel toseries connection. The limewire circuit4 mayv include any u'sualsignal device.; e

gt will be observed that under :the described construction' the' rail doeshnot actjtlirectlyupon lever Q5, but uponthe reci'p" rocating plunger 18, which transmits mo tion to lever 2G through the friction clutch or connection described. The friction clutch is located close to the tulcrum of lever 2G where the lever is firmly supported, and consequently when the movements of said lever are arrested by tliestop-pin 3l or 3Q, the plunger may be forced to slide through the friction clutch without danger of injury `to lor distortion ot the lever, even though very considerable friction be applied lto the plunger.` This arrangement is advantageous because there is always an excess ot' force available to move the plunger, and hence it is practicable, as it is also desirable, to apply a heavy friction so as to insure a` strong movement of lever 26 such as will cause a proper actuation of the hammers 43 or other operated device. l The free end or long arm ot' lever 26 has comparatively7 little work lto perform, but owing to its length, resistance to movement of/the lever acting at the outer or tree end thereof, necessitates application ,of considerable energy to said lever near its tulcrnm, and this in turn makes necessary the relatively strong `frictional connection through the clutclrdevice.

From the foregoing the structure, operation and utility of my track-instrument will be clearly understoodgrand it will be obvious to those skilled in lille art that the illustrated and described s'trt cture may be extensively modified andrearranged without departing lfrom the spirit of the invention disclosed.

Having now describedmy invention, what I claim isz- A i l. In a track linstrument for railway signals. the combination of a reciprocating member adapted to be actuated directly by the rail; a. lever; a slipping clutch interposed between said member and a point on the lever closely adjacent the tule-rum of the latter; means for limiting the movement of said lever; and signal controlling means connectedewith said lever at a point remote from its tulcrurn.

2. In atrack instrument for railway signals, the combination of a support adapted to have a. lixed relation to the ties of a rail way track; a lever fulcrunied on said support; stops limiting the movement of said lever on itsfulcrum; a reciprocating member adapted directly to engage and be actuated by the rail, to partake .of the movements ot the rail relative to the ties; a slipping clutch connecting the reciprocating member with the lever at a. point close to the fulcrum of the latter; and signalcontrolling means, connected with said lever at a point remote 'from fulcrum thereof.

3. In a. track-instrument for railway -lsigl nais, a reciprocable member to bear against Yand be directly actuated by a rail, a, lever,

stops limiting the movements of said lever, a trictional clutch connecting the reciprocable member and the lever and serving t0 transmit motion from the former to the latter, and signal-controlling means operable b v said lever.l y

El. In a track.instrument t'or railway signais, the combination of a rail-actuated plunger; a signal-controlling means including a between said plunger and lever at a pointl near the fulcrum of the latter.

(3. In a track-1nstrument for railwaysignals, a rail-actuated reciprocatingmember,

a pivot-ally mounted weighted arm, a pawl carried by said reciprocating member and engageable with said arm to litt. the same, means for disengaging the pawl. lfrom the arm at a predetermined, point to lrop the latter, and signal-controlling means actuated by the dropping Vof said arm.

' 7. In a track-instrument t'or railway signals, signal-controlling means including a yieldable member, a weight vieldably supported adjacent to said member, rail-actuated means tor lifting said weight, and means for disengaging the lifting means trom said weight to drop the latter from a predetermined height onto the yieldable member ot' the signal-controlling means. y

8. In a track-instrument for railway signals,acircuit-controllingswitch including a yieldable member and a relatively fixed member, a block on whichsaid s 'itch-members are mounted, rail-actuated means for engaging said yieldable switch-member, and means for supporting said block adjacent to said rail-actuated means in either of two reverse positionsl in which the yieldable switch-member when engaged by the rail, actuated means is movable, respectively, to-, ward and away from the 4fixed switch member. I 9. A track-instrun'ient for railway signals comprising in combination, .a rail actuated reciprocating member; a multiplying lever; an impositive connection between said member and lever; a weight guided to move in a xed path; a pawl carried by said lever and engageable with said weight to lift the latter; means for disen aginfr said pawl aft/er said weight is lifter, to drop the weight; and signal controlling means ope `able by the dropping of the Weight.

10. A track-instrument for railway sigand the other adapted to -lift the other of 10 nals, comprising in combination, a rail. aosaid weights upon `the upWa-'rd movement of tuated reciprocating member; a multiplythe lever- .means for tripping olf -sai`d-paWl ing lever; an 'impositive connection.'lcet'veen,I mechanisms'in the upward lpositions of said said member and lever; Weightszguided'to weights; and a signal controlling means move'independently in fixed paths; twopawl operable by the falling of either Weight. "15

mechanisms operatively associated with said In testimony whereof I have signedmy lever, one adapted to lift one of said weights name to thls specification.' upon .the downward movement of thelever ROY A. FRY. 

